Written by

Justin St. Louis, Free Press Correspondent

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The Vermont stock car racing scene lost a legend last week with the passing of Charles “C.J.” Richards. Richards was the founder of the Champlain Valley Racing Association in 1960, promoting auto races in and around Rutland County for a half-century.

His first foray was as a driver in post-World War jalopy-style races at tracks from Colchester to Bennington, and west into New York. Richards found success as a promoter shortly thereafter, first with overseeing events at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland. He built the half-mile Fairmont Speedway in Fair Haven and ran the track with huge fanfare before opening Devil’s Bowl Speedway in nearby West Haven in 1967.

Devil’s Bowl, also a half-mile, attracted the area’s top open-wheel Modified dirt track stars, from Vince Quenneville to Mert “Socks” Hulbert. Even far-away travelers like Will Cagle and Buzzie Reutimann hauled from Florida to race regularly.

The Bowl was paved in 1971 and joined the five-nights-a-week Northern NASCAR Late Model circuit with Thunder Road in Barre, Catamount Stadium in Milton, Airborne Park in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Sanair Speedway near Montreal.

Dirt racing returned under CVRA in 1975 but suffered some lean years as the 1980s approached. Richards realized that the old-school big-block engines of the Modified class in the northeast were too expensive for most race teams and he introduced the revolutionary small-block 358-cubic inch engine package in the early 1980s. The move sent shock waves through the country, and Devil’s Bowl and Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., another Richards-owned track, gained national attention. Fields were full of race cars, rosters were filled with star drivers, and grandstands were packed with fans every week. Promoters everywhere quickly adopted the 358 package, and 30 years later the engine is still very popular.

As Richards’ health became an issue in the 1990s he handed control to his children, Bruce, Sharon, Jerry, and Tim. In his down time, Richards fielded a race team for Mike Bruno on the NASCAR Busch North Series in 1999 and 2000, and they won the Rookie of the Year title together. Although the team only lasted two years, Bruno and Richards remained close and Bruno purchased Devil’s Bowl in October 2011. Reportedly, a memorial event is already being planned in Richards’ honor.

Richards’ funeral was held in Fair Haven on Monday to stand-room-only gathering of family, friends, racers, and well-wishers. He was 74.

Justin St. Louis is a motorsports journalist, publicist, broadcaster, and former driver. Email him at jstlouis1315@gmail.comjstlouis1315@gmail.com> .